Safety Comes First
FIX WHAT You Find! Since many of you may be new to the hobby or returning to the fold after a long absence, this might be a good time to review the following list that is designed to ensure a peek at essentials before taking to the air! Save yourself grief and money by looking it over. First Flight/Overhaul/Repair Checklist • Before starting engine: 1) Control surfaces: No binding of linkages between servos, and control surfaces/throttle move in the correct direction. Throw set to proper amount.
Safety Comes First
MERRY CHRISTMAS! It's that time of year again; time to tear shopping hints from modeling magazines and leave them posted in obvious places around the house! If you really want attention, try sticking the ad for something you want for Christmas on the bathroom mirror; trust me, your "better half" will get the message! On the top of my wish list this year is a computer flight simulator program (keeps winter rust off of the flying skills), a new Radio Glove to protect hands from frostbite, or a foam glider (grin). Okay, maybe I'll settle for a few of my favorite glow plugs, a couple of propellers, and a case or two of reliable fuel. Guess I'm just an optimist! Who knows, maybe I can count on glow plugs?
Safety Comes First
I ENJOY attending a good fun-fly. It's an opportunity to sit back and watch some good flying, pick up a few tips, see some new airplanes, meet new friends, and enjoy an afternoon. No matter what type of event, club fun-flys offer wholesome fun and an opportunity for individuals and families to get out and enjoy some fresh air. During a recent weekend here in Florida, I had an opportunity to attend an event put on by a local chapter of the International Miniature Aircraft Association (IMAA), an organization that represents hobbyists who fly the really big stuff. If memory serves me right, to qualify to fly in this category, the length of a wing has to meet or exceed 80 inches. It's not hard to find airplanes that from a distance almost appear large enough to take a human pilot for a ride!
Safety Comes First
THINGS THAT GO BOOM: While scanning the local newspaper, I noted a story about a grain elevator that exploded, and several people died. One might assume that there was a gas leak, a buildup of sewer gas, or possibly stored chemicals that sparked the deadly explosion, but no; I'll bet my next airplane that the cause was airborne grain dust! How could grain dust create an explosion? When too much of any type of flammable material becomes airborne and trapped in a closed environment, it creates a concentrated mixture that needs only a source of ignition to burn-very, very rapidly (boom!). If grain dust and air mix in a closed environment (such as a grain silo), the mixture can be just as deadly as gas fumes waiting for a spark.
Safety Comes First
NI-CD KNOWLEDGE: I can't tell you how many times I've been asked questions related to Ni-Cd (Nickel-Cadmium) battery use and management. One would think that after answering the same questions time and time again, something would stick and the answers would come easy. Since I don't think of the subject often (I'm programmed), and I'm not blessed with gray matter that accommodates theory, formulas, etc., I usually refer to what those who know have written. I was asked how to tell if a receiver battery is safe to use, and what needs to be done to keep batteries healthy. I've learned to follow a monthly protocol, and often have to refer to literature when figuring out capacities or available power/demand (varies with size of pack and demand placed on it). My routine requires that I cycle receiver and transmitter packs monthly. To accomplish this I've purchased additional chargers and cyclers; however, even though I go through the routine religiously, I'm not convinced that my batteries live longer because of it.
